USA dietary supplement cause for 23,000 medical emergencies per year

Risks of supplements often underestimated
According to a recent study by scientists at the US Department of Health (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), around 23,000 emergency departments are taking dietary supplements every year in the United States. As the research team around Andrew Geller reports in the journal New England Journal of Medicine, many undesirable events are attributed to dietary supplements. These include cardiovascular complaints such as palpitations and chest pain, but also other symptoms such as massive swallowing problems or a feeling of lumpiness in the throat.

Dietary supplements are used extremely frequently in the USA, but in Germany too, these supposedly healthy enrichments of the diet are becoming increasingly popular. However, the data on possible risks of the products are very limited. The scientists of the CDC and FDA have therefore examined in their current study, how often in emergency admissions is related to the intake of dietary supplements.

The result is quite questionable: According to the researchers, around 23,000 emergency rooms per year are due to the intake of appropriate preparations. Especially children, young adults and old people are increasingly affected.

Dietary supplements cause around 23,000 emergency rooms a year in the US. (Image: pat_hastings / fotolia.com)

Cardiovascular complaints in young adults
For their study, the scientists used the representative data from 63 emergency units in the US from the years 2004 to 2013. A total of 3,667 emergencies were due to the intake of dietary supplements, report Andrew Geller and colleagues. Frequently involved were young adults between the ages of 20 and 34 (28.0 percent of the cases) and children (21.2 percent of the cases), the latter usually receiving unattended parent funds. Dietary supplements designed to help with weight loss or provide energy have often led to unwanted cardiovascular events in young adults. In contrast, preparations containing micronutrients caused symptoms mainly in people over the age of 65, with swallowing problems, a feeling of lumpiness in the throat and gagging being particularly frequent side effects.

Responsible handling of dietary supplements required
Based on the available data, the scientists estimate that every year in the US more than 23,000 emergency rooms are caused by dietary supplements. Consumers should be urgently aware of the risks involved, and the extensive use of the products requires a critical evaluation, the researchers concluded. In the US, experts estimate that around half of adults take at least one dietary supplement. (Fp)